September 8th, 2030, 10:09 pm

I approach the desk in the front entrance office of the headquarters. My heart slams within me as I place my hands on the counter. Irene does not waver from her computer. "Evening, ma'am. Sorry to bother you, but I need to talk to the Captain. Is he in?"

She glances my way, tilting her head to look over her glasses. "Oh, Private Tross, it's you. All the officers are in tonight, but the General isn't allowing any visitors or appointments."

"Please, ma'am, it's really important. I promise I'll be quick." I hop on my toes with my gaze broken by blinks. I keep the exact reason buried, though I know it would levy the battle in my favor.

Irene bobbles her head. "I'm sorry, Slater, but the General is adamant about this. He's calling it a "lock-in." No one in, no one out. They need to catch up on work."

I turn away from the desk and expel some air. How in the hell am I supposed to get up to the offices now? The hallway to the administrative wing, guarded by a turnstile, looms to my right. Just pass that is the stairway leading upstairs. I could make a run for it; odds are, Irene won't be able to catch me. I didn't escape from the Imperial Guard for a whole summer based on luck alone.

If that was me, of course.

I slump into the sofa beside the front doors. After my meeting with Roarke, I determined that the Imperial Guard must be informed about the incoming catastrophe at the end of the week. The situation has become too dire to ignore it any longer. Had I known earlier that the first beast was arriving in five days, we would have more time to prepare.

Should I blame myself? Since I received the mark of the Medo, nothing I have done has been enough. Not inquisitive enough, not demanding enough, not strong enough. Now, all of the world's problems have been thrust upon me at once and I cannot carry them by myself. But do I have the right to alleviate the pressure onto others after I have been so weak?

Perhaps not. Then again, if I stay silent, the world will be destroyed without humanity having a chance to fight back, and I will be the one to hold responsibility.

The last time I sat on this couch, the Imperial Guard granted me life, or at least, a life longer than the one I intended to lead. That was the first moment I had known true peace and relief. Sitting here on this particular Sunday night, I realize that exact instance has dissipated into the murky air of Medo iniquity. I don't think I will ever be that blissful again.

Come to think of it, the last time I sat on this couch, I cloaked myself on accident; undetectable to both Irene and the Captain.

I know that my ability to disappear is awful at best. It happens when I least expect it or when it's unnecessary. No matter how hard I think about it, my body can't fade. It's no use straining myself to do something I know I cannot.

I peer at Irene, whose gaze is glued to her computer screen. I have to try. This is for the Empire.

A breath slips into my nose and crawls out through my mouth. I seal my eyes and picture myself trickling into nothing. My skin flakes off and meets with the dust in the air of the office. The weight of my hands falls to nothing and becomes one with space. The shaving reaches my shoulders and dances up my neck. My mind succumbs to the deterioration and softens.

I blink my eyes open and turn my attention to my arms. They are one with the air now. I have no time to waste.

I extend my legs and proceed toward the turnstile, surveying Irene at her desk. She remains fixated on her work and pays no mind to the teenager looming over her. Maybe I will regret not doing this the legal way. When I make it up to the officer's wing, this could all fall back on her. I'm sorry.

My feet take me over the metal bars of the turnstile and I land on the lustrous tiles of the hallway. The staircase sits along the wall upon entry, so I dash to the steps. I forgot to throw socks on before I traversed the corridors of the headquarters, leaving my feet to stick on the wooden stairs with every pace.

The staircase leads up to a curvaceous atrium, illuminated by bulbed lights tracing up the wall. A dome towers over my head, though the night beyond restricts anything but darkness to seep into the building. My leg hairs rise as my toes press on the cold, marble flooring, and the feeling courses up my body. The wide-open room calls to me from every slight bend, asking me to investigate as if I were in the Castle again.

I stride through the door on my right and enter another hallway, guiding toward the top officer's wing. Every time I would have some kind of disciplinary meeting with Master Sergeant Petry, I would find myself gawking at the ornaments of this corridor. The ceiling over me, even in the lusterless lighting from the night, remains a glittering emerald. The Imperial Guard decorations along the wall opposite the windows sit idle, begging for someone to study them.

Perhaps if the matter wasn't so urgent, I would consider it.

The clicking of heels catches me in a step and I pause. Two women, one with a satchel and the other with folders in her hands, turn the corner from the officer's hallway and continue in my direction. Whatever they are saying vibrates off the walls around me, though my frozen stature prohibits their words from reaching my comprehension.

I stretch my hands out in front of me and glance down. All I see is the sleek floor; no reflection of myself or anything. As far as I can tell, these women cannot see me. If I keep progressing to the Captain's office, maintaining my cloak, I should be okay. I need to stay focused and trust my powers.

Trust the Medo, somehow. Roarke said that my invisibility lasts as long as I feel threatened. Keep a cool head.

The hallway narrows into a smaller prism once I turn the corner. Office doors stagger from one wall to the other, and some potted plants sit on the floor between them. Benches also spread beside the entrances, calling for someone to occupy them. A somber air mists through the hall as the lights aren't at the same intensity as the wide corridor before.

I bend my legs and proceed down the hall in deliberation. Master Sergeant Petry's office lurks over me on my left. If Petry walked out right now, he would have no idea I was here, breaking the rules as a recruit. I doubt he would hesitate to kick me out of the Imperial Guard if my mind would fail me now. That man despises every inch of me and would enjoy seeing my demise. He wouldn't be the only one.

Outside one of the doors at the end of the corridor, two men are gathered, discussing something I cannot perceive. In the low light, shadows hang over their faces, so I would have to tread toward them to find out who they are. I won't investigate their identities as I approach the Captain's door on my right.

Before I can knock, I squint at the pair. The Captain speaks to the other man, squeezing a couple of files under his own arm. I grin behind my camouflage. I guess I won't have to go very far to find him. This is my opportunity to converse with him and let it all out.

He glances at his office door, and his face freezes. The man speaking to him continues with the discourse. The Captain ricochets his gaze between his door and the other officer.

The officer cuts off his sentence and pivots toward the door. Major Levi Talbot stares right through me.

"What the hell?" The Major's expression rebounds off the walls and travels down the corridor. He presses his eyes in my direction. "What is he doing here?"

I jolt my hands ahead and my sight pierces through my fingertips. The ridges in my palms laugh at me as the hairs on my arms perk toward the ceiling. My nose sneaks between my eyes again. As I bring my attention back to the two officers ahead, my legs teeter beneath me. I watch my toes hide under my feet.

The Captain springs from the wall and collects me by the wrist. With a swift tug, lasting no more than two seconds, he pulls me into his office and slams the door behind him. The chilly air meets with the sweat on the back of my neck and I steal a quick breath. He does the same.

"What the fuck are you doing up here?" The Captain cranks the lock on the door and swings to face me. "Better yet, how did you get up here?"

Something cracks against the door from the hallway. "Brian, open up! Gill said no visits. If he finds out about this, it's your ass!"

Brian leans toward the border between him and the Major. "Look, give me a sec, will ya?" Instead of reverting back to his original stance, he begins pacing in short steps near the shelves along the wall. "Listen, kid, you can't be here right now. You need to go back to the barracks before the General knows you showed up."

"But I have to tell you something," I declare. A binding within my chest twists into a boldness in my heart. "Roarke just told me about the beasts; they're coming."

His shoes cave into the floor. "What?"

Chattering slips into the office from beneath the door; what seems like a thousand voices masked by Major Talbot's clamor. Another hammer pounds, causing me to jump. "You know, Brian, he doesn't get a pass because he's special. He needs to go through the same process and follow the same rules as everyone else."

The Captain stomps to the door as if he were speaking to the Major face to face. "Levi, he says he knows something about the Medo. If you'll stop being an impatient fuck, maybe we can actually make some progress on the investigation."

"Yeah, Levi, calm the fuck down," a man's voice calls from beyond. Probably the Colonel.

A continuous pummel assaults the door. "Manchester, do you want to tell me as to why there is a crowd outside of your office? Are you harboring someone in there?"

Brian shudders, backing off from the boundary. "General, I swear, I can explain." He turns away and rubs his knuckles on his palm, glaring dead at the hardwood floor. "Uh, not really," he mutters between us.

I have never witnessed the Captain shrivel up like this. This is the same guy who would confront higher officers and adversaries with a sense of confidence. He has seen everything hell has released throughout his life, but the moment he is approached by the General of the Imperial Guard, he's a nervous wreck.

Maybe it isn't just the General that has him worried.

My fingers twitch at the thought of the General on the other side of this door. For a man who has lived a similar life to mine, he sure is cold. How can he see what ails me yet put his business first, even if it involves his business? Does he know I'm here on account of the Medo or just paying a visit to the Captain since I haven't seen him since this morning? I wouldn't be here just to shoot the breeze.

"Slater is in there, sir," Major Talbot adds. Thanks, douchebag.

"I figured," the General replies. "Manchester, I told you that no one was allowed to bother you. That boy needs to go back to the barracks, now, or hand him over to Petry to have him corrected. I've heard he's already been there a couple of times."

So much for that nice letter he sent me before the ceremony.

Brian paces to the door. His right hand trembles at his hip as he scratches his chin with his left. "Now, look, General, I can't just-"

"General, listen to me," I exclaim without much thought. The words escape my mouth as if there were no cage to hold them. Damn it, Slater. There's no going back now. "I know I'm just a kid who probably means nothing to you, but I know something that could save the lives of thousands of people. I have connections to the Medo, well, not that I want them. If you could please just take a minute to listen to what I have to say, I promise this won't be a waste of your time."

A lingering silence chews away at my skin. There is some mumbling outside, though minimal from the General himself. The Captain stands by the door, nodding slowly in my direction. A slight grin emerges.

"Speak, Private," the General commands.

I step toward the door. I'm talking to a wall here. "Sir, I just spoke to the leader of the Medo; his name is Rodney Roarke. He made a deal that if I take care of these creatures he sent after me, he'll leave Oltima and take the cult with him. Well, the first one of these creatures is coming to the city by the end of the week. Friday. I came up here to tell someone so that your officers could do something. I didn't mean to go against your orders, sir, but this was far too urgent to wait."

"What do you mean, "creature?" Private, there is nothing on this continent that the Imperial Guard has not encountered. Whatever this creature is, we can stomp it out once it shows up."

I grimace as his words pass through to me. "With all due respect, sir, you don't understand. These creatures supposedly aren't from our world."

An outbreak of laughter spreads throughout the hallway. Of all the things that concerned me about slithering into the Imperial Guard offices, being taken seriously was at the bottom of my list. I would think that at least someone out there would realize I am telling the truth. The Medo flirts with the supernatural, so it would make sense that these beasts are not from this realm. If only there was no door between us, I could see their faces and judge.

"So, you mean to tell me that you snuck up here because of some demons or hell-beasts or whatever?" The General battles against his amusement. "At least come up with a better lie!"

My fist rams against the door as my teeth crunch together. "Damn it, I'm not lying!"

The laughter ensues again. I rest my forehead on the barricade between us, my face heating up. I don't understand why they won't believe me. They finally have something that could get them close to the Medo, something to further their investigations, yet they shun it because it's me. Is that why? Or is it because I've only been in the Imperial Guard for a week and a half? Why should they listen to a kid?

I desire nothing more than to open this door and let them see my face; see how serious I am. But I know that the moment this barrier is broken, Major Talbot will lunge for me. Brian will be the only one in the near vicinity who would stop the Major from killing me. Everyone else would just watch as Talbot steps on my throat.

I peel my head off of the door. I might know how I can lure the Major to my side, even for a brief moment.

"Major Talbot, sir," I call to the crowd.

"What do you want?" His voice rumbles through to my ears. I picture him snarling on the other side.

"These past few days, I have grown close to Sergeant Larsson. We didn't get along well at first because of what happened over the summer, but we finally made up." I consider what occurred this past weekend, but I suppress it. "He idolizes you, Major. He told me stories about you and he really looks up to you. He would probably kill me for saying these things about him, but I thought you should know.

"The Medo took control of him this weekend. He and I went out on Friday night, and when I asked him about it just now, he said he remembered none of it. The leader of the Medo ordered one of his lowers to possess Craig. They made him into something he's not. He doesn't know what really happened and it scares him. And honestly, it scares me, too."

There is some shuffling from the hallway. "The Medo can do that?"

"Only some of them," I continue. "But I think they did this to get my attention since I started caring for him. Roarke did the same thing at the ceremony; he attacked Captain Manchester so that he could convince me to listen to him. That's when I first found out about the beasts that they are sending. Roarke said that if we can take down these beasts, he and the Medo will desert the continent. No more murders, no more manipulation, and no more fear. All I ask is that someone will help me. I cannot do this alone."

The Major clears his throat. "Private Tross, I think we could put our differences aside until this threat subsides."

A smile shatters my tight face and I use a weak attempt to repair it. "Of course, sir. Thank you so much."

"General Hamilton, sir, if I were you, I would consider what Private Tross is proposing. I no longer believe that he would make something up like that."

A moment of hushed tones loiters beyond the door. I glance at the Captain, awaiting any further discussion from the outside. All he can do is grin at me in silence.

There is rustling amongst them. "Petry, make it known that this week's curriculum has been diverted to an Area 4 emergency. Effective immediately." Hearing the General command his inferiors sends a rush through me. His booming voice carries in echoes, reaching the ears of every officer.

"MacTavish, you get in contact with the other four regions and you tell them to get here within twenty-four hours for a briefing. Talbot, Manchester, and Hill, start planning your defensive and offensive strategies. I expect a first draft report by 0700 hours. Everyone else, continue on with your investigations. These creatures are our number one priority but the Medo still remains at large."

Footsteps scatter in every which direction once the orders are given. My face repels the door and I rise with a straightened back. The Captain's hand takes hold of my shoulder and he gives it a playful jostle. I cannot help but sneak out a short laugh, and he copies me.

"Oh, and Private Tross," the General adds, "I expect you to return to the barracks at once. Inform your class about these creatures. You are their source of direction and safety. Don't be surprised if you are brought back up here for questioning."

"Of course, sir. Thank you."

General Hamilton knocks the door once. "The Imperial Guard must work together on threats like these. As a total unit, the Guard is unstoppable. The Medo won't know what hit them. You can count on that."